6-month home-stay: which visa?

You can apply for a Business Visa (F visa) for 6-month homestay in China. The required documents are:
1. your Canadian passport with at least 12 months validity and 2 blank visa pages
2. one passport passport taken in recent 6 months
3. filled visa application form V.2011A
4. the invitation letter

I would like to thank HELPER for answering my question on doing a home stay in China.
I would like to ask for more clarification, if possible, about details of the invitation letter that would be required.

Since this would be a letter from a Chinese citizen, rather than a company or the government, what proof does the visa office usually require to determine that it is genuine? Does it have to be a mailed hard copy? Does it have to be mailed directly to the Consulate from the inviter in China? Does the inviter have to provide photocopies of any specific ID or photos?

Thank you!

Yes, an invitation letter of hard copy from a Chinese citizen is not sufficient for the visa application, the copy of the family members' ID card and household registration sheet are also required.